Includes bibliographical references (p. 247-248)

From the co-author of the bestselling Handbook of the Soul comes a collection of short essays on attaining peace of mind by learning to let go of small aggravations

Contents: Don't sweat the small stuff -- Make peace with imperfection -- Let go of the idea that gentle, relaxed people can't be superachievers -- Be aware of the snowball effect of your thinking -- Develop your compassion -- Remind yourself that when you die, your "in-basket" won't be empty -- Don't interrupt others or finish their sentences -- Do something nice for someone else and don't tell anyone about it -- Let others have the glory -- Learn to live in the present moment -- Imagine that everyone is enlightened except you -- Let others be "right" most of the time -- Become more patient -- Create "patience practice periods" -- Be the first one to act loving or reach out -- Ask yourself the question, "Will this matter a year from now?" -- Surrender to the fact that life isn't fair -- Allow yourself to be bored -- Lower your tolerance to stress -- Once a week, write a heartfelt letter -- Imagine yourself at your own funeral

Contents (cont.): Repeat to yourself, "Life isn't an emergency" -- Experiment with your back burner -- Spend a moment every day thinking of someone to thank -- Smile at strangers, look into their eyes, and say hello -- Set aside quiet time, every day -- Imagine the people in your life as tiny infants and as one-hundred-year-old adults -- Seek first to understand -- Become a better listener -- Choose your battles wisely -- Become aware of your moods and don't allow yourself to be fooled by the low ones -- Life is a test. It is only a test -- Praise and blame are all the same -- Practice random acts of kindness -- Look beyond behavior -- See the innocence -- Choose being kind over being right -- Tell three people (today) how much you love them -- Practice humility -- When in doubt about whose turn it is to take out the trash, go ahead and take it out -- Avoid weatherproofing -- Spend a moment, every day, thinking of someone to love -- Become an anthropologist

Contents (cont.): Understand separate realities -- Develop your own helping rituals -- Every day, tell at least one person something you like, admire, or appreciate about them -- Argue for your limitations and they're yours -- Remember that everything has God's fingerprints on it -- Resist the urge to criticize -- Write down your five most stubborn positions and see if you can soften them -- Just for fun, agree with criticism directed toward you (then watch it go away) -- Search for the grain of truth in other opinions -- See the glass as already broken (and everything else too) -- Understand the statement, "Wherever you go, there you are" -- Breathe before you speak -- Be grateful when you're feeling good and graceful when you're feeling bad -- Become a less aggressive driver -- Relax -- Adopt a child through the mail -- Turn your melodrama into a mellow-drama

Contents (cont.): Read articles and books with entirely different points of view from your own and try to learn something -- Do one thing at a time -- Count to ten -- Practice being in the "eye of the storm" -- Be flexible with changes in your plans -- Think of what you have instead of what you want -- Practice ignoring your negative thoughts -- Be willing to learn from friends and family -- Be happy where you are -- Remember that you become what you practice most -- Quiet the mind -- Take up yoga -- Make service an integral part of your life -- Do a favor and don't ask for, or expect, one in return -- Think of your problems as potential teachers -- Get comfortable not knowing -- Acknowledge the totality of your being -- Cut yourself some slack -- Stop blaming others -- Become an early riser -- When trying to be helpful, focus on little things -- Remember, one hundred years from now, all new people -- Lighten up -- Nurture a plant

Contents (cont.): Transform your relationship to your problems -- The next time you find yourself in an argument, rather than defend your position, see if you can see the other point of view first -- Redefine a "meaningful accomplishment" -- Listen to your feelings (They are trying to tell you something) -- If someone throws you the ball, you don't have to catch it -- One more passing show -- Fill your life with love -- Realize the power of your own thoughts -- Give up on the idea that "more is better" -- Keep asking yourself, "What's really important?" -- Trust your intuitive heart -- Be open to "what is" -- Mind your own business -- Look for the extraordinary in the ordinary -- Schedule time for your inner work -- Live this day as if it were your last. It might be!

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